Renewing the Countryside

Story Clearinghouse

Sutcliffe Vineyards

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Capturing the Brilliance of Place Tucked below the east face of Battle Rock in the far southwestern corner of Colorado, John Sutcliffe struggles for control of McElmo Canyon. Growing grapes at 5,300 feet above sea level isn’t just a matter of turning sunlight into sugar, but rather also part of his strategy against what he […]

PastureLand Cooperative

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Their Own Brand PastureLand Cooperative in southeast Minnesota is marketing cheese, butter, milk and ice cream made from the milk of grass-fed cows. Together with six Rochester area producers, the co-op aremarketing their own brand of cheese and milk. It wasn’t just low milk prices that prompted members of a Rochester-area cooperative to create their […]

Hoch Orchard

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Creative Farming Nestled deep in the steep, wooded hills and valleys of the Mississippi River is the 30-acre Hoch Orchard, tended by Harry and Jackie Hoch. After leaving the orchard for seven growing seasons, Harry and Jackie decided to return to their apple orchard and raise their family in a rural community. Since 1997, the […]

Keating Farm

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Jim and Sue Keating are newcomers to the world of organic agriculture. Prior to moving to the town of Bennington in central Kansas, the couple raised a family in urban Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Sue was a church secretary and Jim taught civil engineering at the university. When their kids moved out and the couple moved […]